“Special theatre” as a tool of social inclusion: Russian and international experience

The aim of this article is to get the reader acquainted with the history of the inclusive theatre movement in Russia and abroad, as well as to discuss its challenges and perspectives in the context of social inclusion. The authors make an attempt to elaborate an inclusive theatre model, focusing on the system of concepts of the cultural-historical scientific school. The model is based on L.S. Vygotsky’s idea that every physical impairment reveals itself as a social “abnormality” of behaviour, which means that its overcoming can occur in a situation of organised social interaction. The authors argue that this kind of interaction can be created in the situation of inclusive theatrical activity, where “conflicts and collisions” are intentionally modeled, and where “pereghivanie” and reflection are regarded as the key mechanisms of organising the process of joint action.